2 fired over Obama passport file breach  —  Third employee at State disciplined over accessing candidate's records  —  Two contract employees of the State Department were fired and a third person was disciplined for accessing passport records of Sen. Barack Obama “without a need to do so …

Jeremiah Wright was White House guest  —  The recent coverage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright has often cast him as a marginal, almost fringe figure, but Trinity Church is a major Chicago institution, and Wright has long been a prominent pastor on the American scene.

McCain aide circulates Obama/Wright video, is suspended  —  An aide to John McCain was suspended from the campaign today for blasting out an inflammatory video that raises questions about Barack Obama's patriotism.  —  Soren Dayton, who works in McCain's political department …

A “TYPICAL WHITE PERSON”?!  —  I've expressed admiration for Barack Obama's political skills, but maybe, in a time of stress, his inexperience is beginning to show.  In an interview earlier today, he referred to his grandmother—the one he slandered in his speech on Tuesday—as a “typical white person.”

Obama church published Hamas terror manifesto  —  Compares charter calling for murder of Jews to Declaration of Independence  —  JERUSALEM - Sen. Barack Obama's Chicago church reprinted a manifesto by Hamas that defended terrorism as legitimate resistance, refused to recognize the right …

Obama Has The Heels All The Way  —  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama joined 850 The Buzz this morning, not to talk about politics, but to talk about his bracket.  And why not, figuring out how the delegates are spread out makes less sense than the RPI.

Guest: Amy Sullivan  —  AS I WAS SAYING....Good lord.  I always forget there's no presumption of good faith (no pun intended) in the blogosphere.  I should know better than to throw up a quick post, but let's all take a deep breath and start over.  —  I believe one of the reasons …

Hagee, in ‘NYT’ This Sunday, Says McCain Sought His Endorsement  —  NEW YORK In an interview that will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, controversial televangelist Rev. John Hagee declares, “It's true that [John] McCain's campaign sought my endorsement.”

Michigan Do-Over Dies  —  With lawmakers leaving for the holiday weekend today without taking up a bill that would've provided for a second Democratic primary, Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan basically declared the do-over option dead.  —  In a statement issued this afternoon, Ms. Granholm, a Clinton supporter, said:

Obama Links Effects of War Costs to Fragility in the Economy  —  CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Senator Barack Obama on Thursday blamed the fragile economy on “careless and incompetent execution” of the Iraq war, imploring voters in this swing state to consider the trickle-down economic consequences …